When I Was Your Man
by PoeticJustus
Summary: Rick and Michonne had the perfect life, but he did the unthinkable and ended up breaking her heart. Will she give him a second chance? Inspired by the lyrics of the beautiful song "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now_

 _Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same_

 _When our friends talk about you all it does is just tear me down_

 _Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name.._

 _._

"Negan, stop it," Michonne whispered a stern reprimand directly into her husband's ear then turned around quickly to make sure that no one had stepped in line behind them, bearing witness to his risqué behavior.

"I can't take you anywhere." She swatted his hand from her ample ass as she once again faced forward, glad that the oversized dark-tinted Gucci shades covering her eyes also covered the twinkle that was currently dancing within them.

She found it incredibly sexy the way he always wanted her...always had to have his hands on her. It made her swell with pride that her husband of five years still couldn't get enough of her.

Michonne's scolding didn't deter Negan. Her smoky voice only managed to turn him on more. It was one of the many...many things he loved about his wife and in that moment it was the very thing that had his hand reaching out desperately to try and make contact with any part of her body he could.

Yes, her ass was phenomenal, but so was her elegant neck, her exquisite shoulders, the S-curve of her back and her strong legs and shapely thighs. He couldn't even bring himself to imagine touching the parts of her body he could only caress in private...the parts he caressed late last night and then again earlier this morning.

"You are so fuckin' sexy, Mrs. Negan Leone." His right hand slowly swept down the small of her back, sending dozens and dozens of explosive little bolts of thunder clapping throughout her body.

 _Negan Leone_. Michonne shivered thinking about the way he liked for her to call out his entire name in bed...first and last. She never could find the strength to resist him.

Sometimes when she was feeling kind of schoolgirl naughty she did play hard to get, but he knew. _Damn, my husband is one sexy-ass man._ Hell yes, he knew she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her, but he always played along with her little game anyway. It was so much hotter that way.

"Don't you have any self-control? We're in public," she continued on as if this performance would be on the reel that she would be submitting in order to be nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Actress. "Behave yourself."

This time even the shades couldn't save her. Her giggle was the first to plot betrayal, but was not on a solo mission as it was quickly joined by its co-conspirator, her radiant smile. _Those fucking traitors._

"Don't act like you've never done inappropriate things to me in public." Negan reminded her, his deep voice no more than a throaty whisper.

It was thick and jagged like gravel, scratching and scratching at her ear and making her ache in places where he always made it hurt so damn good.

"I'd take you into that bathroom, bend you over the sink and rip that red lace thong from your body with my teeth if it wasn't for..." he stopped abruptly and looked down at the perpetrator to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping.

Satisfied that she wasn't he continued on with his eyes focused back on his incredibly sexy wife, "...you know who. How many times has she shut our shit down just this week alone?"

Both of their eyes moved down at the same time to sneak a peek at the tiny offender who had interrupted so many of their freaky escapades.

 _Bella._

Her big brown eyes looked up at them and with a giggle she latched on to Negan's right leg and Michonne's left.

"Mommy and Daddy," she took a deep breath as she usually did when she got really excited, "why are you looking at me like that?"

Her voice was the sweetest little thing you've ever heard, or at least that's what Negan's mother swore. Gianna Leone was positive that her precious granddaughter was the smartest and prettiest little girl in the whole entire world and nothing or no one could succeed in convincing her any differently.

Michonne thought the woman spoiled her little girl too much...thought that his entire family spoiled her too much, but since she didn't have many familial bonds of her own she let her extended family indulge her only child.

They may have been a tad bit excessive with all of the gifts of lavish toys and impromptu weekend trips to Disney World anytime Bella decided she wanted to visit with whichever of the Disney Princesses was her most favorite at the moment, but they loved her to death and that meant more to Michonne than anything.

Negan bent down and scooped his precious little girl up into his arms.

"Because we love you so much," he said as his eyes shined, radiating beams of pure adoration, "Bunny, Mommy and I love you more than anything."

"I know that, silly," she shook her head at him as if to say _Duh, Daddy_.

"I'm your princess and I will be forever and ever," she said, her tiny little arms waving around dramatically in the air as she sprinkled some of her _super magical fairy sparkle dust_ over the three of them.

"Now we will live happily ever after," she concluded, then smiled and placed a quick kiss on her father's cheek then turned to the other side and placed one on her mother's.

"Thank you, Bunny." Michonne gently brought her hands to her daughter's angelic face and cradled it while they leaned in and gave each other a few feather-soft bunny kisses. "You make Mommy so happy."

"You make me so happy too, Mommy," Bella brushed her nose against her mother's one last time before she turned and showered the same affection on her father.

"Do I make you so happy too, Daddy?" she asked, her squeaky little voice only matched in cuteness by her perfect little face.

Bella was the spitting image of her father. Her complexion was a shade or two darker than Negan's, but other than that they were practically twins. They had the exact same dimples and just like Negan, Bella's grew deeper and more pronounced the bigger she smiled. She wore her silky blue-black hair in two neat French braids that started at the crown of her head and hung halfway down her back. Negan's hair wasn't nearly as long as Bella's, but it was the identical color and texture.

She was truly his mini me in almost every way possible, but her eyes... Bella's big beautiful doe eyes were one hundred percent Michonne and when either one of his girls looked upon him for too long, Negan got weak in the knees. He adored them both so very much. They changed his life for the better. Hell, they gave him his life. He hadn't lived before the two of them. He had merely existed.

"Of course you make me so happy, sweetheart," Negan assured his little princess as he followed his queen's lead and took a step forward in line.

Maggie's bakery was always busy, but Saturday mornings were especially brutal. They'd been in line for twenty-five minutes by now and there were still five people ahead of them. Negan swore two weeks back, when it took him an hour to get donuts for his office, that he would never subject himself to such torture again but this was a special occasion.

This was the day four years ago that his wife, the woman he loved more than any woman before, gave birth to the little girl that made him believe in fairytales and happy endings.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Bunny."

Bella leaned in closer and cupped his ear with her two tiny little hands, every single one of her nails painted snow white with Hello Kitty's face hand drawn on with precision.

"I have to tinkle." Her whisper was actually quite loud, but Negan decided to humor her anyway.

He nodded his head affirmatively while bringing his index finger to his lips, assuring his princess that her secret was safe with him.

Michonne could only laugh as Negan spun their daughter around in his strong arms and danced the two of them off towards the bathrooms. Bella was a daddy's girl through and through, and even though Michonne had never experienced such closeness with her own father, her heart swelled watching her husband doting on the perfect little human being they created together.

"Welcome to Maggie's." The bubbly blonde cashier greeted Michonne with a bright smile that lit up the entire bakery. "Would you like to try a slice of our new Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake? Only two pieces left."

Her sweet smile was replaced by a now wicked one as she tried to tempt Michonne over to the dark side...the dark chocolate ganache side.

 _Oh, you little devil_. Michonne thought to herself. _Do you know how hard I have to work to keep this body in a size six? But damn that does look good._ She admitted as she made the mistake of peeking inside the lighted display case that showed off the tempting dessert like it was a work of fine art.

 _No, no I shouldn't. I had to skip the gym this morning so that I could get everything ready for the party._ She quickly brought herself back to reality when she remembered the unforgiving white Herve Leger bandage dress she would be wearing, the one that her incredibly thoughtful husband recently brought back for her on his most recent trip to NewYork.

 _Oh, how that man spoils me._ She began to smile, thinking about how he surprised her the previous night with gifts of red satin and lace La Perla lingerie, a bottle vintage Bollinger Vieilles Vignes champagne and a box of her favorite Vosges exotic truffles.

"Good morning," Michonne quickly glanced down at the young lady's name tag, "Beth. I'm picking up a birthday cake." She got right down to business, not even acknowledging the young lady's question and not daring to look down again at the delectable treat.

"Okay," Beth's smile widened as her eyes began to dance with excitement. Birthday cakes were her favorite.

Maggie's didn't sell plain old sheet cakes with various colored buttercream roses. They only made custom creations that ranged in price from anywhere between seven hundred and nineteen hundred dollars.

"And what's the name on the order?"

"I believe it's under my husband's name. Leone, Negan Leone."

"Okay... I'll be right back," Beth tossed Michonne another friendly smile as she eagerly made her way towards the back of the bakery to check on her cake, her long blonde ponytail swinging from side to side with each step she took.

"Michonne?"

An unmistakable voice from her past came calling from behind her. It was like a bucket of ice water being thrown directly into her face without warning.

"Chonne, is that you?"

She froze _._

 _I'd know that voice anywhere. No...no… no...no! Not today. Not now. What the hell is he doing here? Why is he in Atlanta?_ _He's not supposed to be in Atlanta. He hates the city. Is_ _she with him?_

Michonne tried desperately not to panic, but it was already too late. Her heart was racing and her brain was scrambling to try and find a quick resolution. She needed to get the hell out of there...to get the hell away from him.

 _Negan, where the hell are you? Get your ass out here!_

"Michonne, please turn around?" his voice brought her back to reality as he practically begged her to acknowledge his presence, "Babe, I know it's you."

 _Babe? Who the hell does he think he is? Seven years later and he thinks he still has the right to use a pet name...a pet name that he knows I always hated. Oh, no! I'm not your babe. It's Michonne...Michonne Morel-Leone. No, scratch that! It's Mrs. Negan Leone._

 _I moved on. I'm married now and my husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me. He loves me more than you ever could...more than you ever allowed yourself to. He doesn't play games. He doesn't lie. He's more man than you'll ever be…_

 _So why the hell am I so afraid to turn around and face you?_ She knew her fear was irrational, but most everything was when it came to him.

Michonne took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to compose herself, inhaling slowly through her nose then exhaling carefully from her mouth. Then with her shoulders back and her head held high she slowly turned around to face the man who had shattered her heart into a million tiny little pieces.

"Hello, Rick."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _I should've_ _bought you flowers and held your hand_

 _Should've gave you_ _all_ _my_ _hours_ _when_ _I had the chance_

 _Take_ _you to_ _every party_ _cause_ _all_ _you_ _wanted_ _to do_ _was_ _dance_

 _Now_ _my_ _baby's_ _dancing but_ _she's_ _dancing_ _with_ _another_ _man_...

"Hello, Rick."

 _Her and that damn voice._ Former sheriff deputy Rick Grimes thought to himself, feeling a peculiar mixture of excitement and restraint as he came face to face with his ex wife for the very first time in over seven years.

Tiny beads of perspiration peppered his brow as the room seemed to rise ten degrees in temperature within a matter of seconds. A thick blanket of humidity invaded his personal space causing him to free the top two hex wood snaps on his raw denim western style shirt. His nerves were shot to hell. He looked around aimlessly turning his electric blue gaze to the patrons occupying the severely overcrowded little shop.

A small boy with butterscotch skin and bright blue eyes caught his attention.

 _Is that what he woulda looked like?_

He only allowed his thoughts to wander for a few seconds, but that proved to be a few seconds too long. A lump formed in his throat and suddenly he'd forgotten how to swallow... how to breathe...how to think. The excitement he felt just seconds ago was now gone leaving only sadness and regret in its place.

 _He'd be here now if it wasn't for me._

The aromas of various coffees and pastries attacked his unsettled morning stomach as if the presence of the woman in front him didn't already have it twisted in knots.

Michonne stood before him looking tasty enough to nibble in a tangerine colored Gucci sheath dress that hugged her body tight like an obsessed lover. She was rocking a pair of Jimmy Choo peep toe slingbacks with a four inch stiletto heel that catapulted her already insane legs into a whole other stratosphere. Her beautiful Senegal Bounce braids were cut into a stylish bob that stopped just above her sculpted shoulders, framing her flawless face and highlighting her natural features. She was never really one to bother with much makeup. Her smooth blemish free skin didn't require concealers or heavy foundations. A little mascara was all it took to make her naturally long lush lashes pop and a layer or two of her favorite Mac Cremesheen Glass lip gloss was all that was needed to further enhance her provocative pout.

 _Damn._

Was the first word that came to Rick's mind.

 _Damn._

Was the only word that seemed to come to Rick's mind.

 _How is she even more beautiful today than she was the day I married her?_

He didn't mean to stare, but how could he not? Michonne shined bright like a lone diamond amongst a sea of cubic zirconias. Her skin was as smooth as _Amedei Porcelana,_ a rich dark chocolate made in Tuscany, Italy and considered to be the world's most expensive of chocolates. There was always something about his _"Chonne"_ that made her stand out from the crowd...something almost regal...something majestic...something rare.

Rick opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He had left so many things unsaid that he wanted to finally give voice to, but he couldn't figure out where to begin. He wanted so desperately to tell her how much he'd missed her, to look deep within her soulful cocoa eyes and confess that he still loved her, but most of all he wanted to get down on bended knee and apologize profusely for the millionth time then beg for her forgiveness.

 _You had her and you fucked it all up._

But how could he in good conscious ask her to forgive him when he still hadn't even forgiven himself?

Rick cleared his throat in a lame attempt to also clear his nerves away then finally, he spoke. "Hey, Chonne."

He plastered a weak mask of a smile on his face as his long, lean body pushed past the tension between the two of them and went in for a quick hug. His brain didn't even have time to fully process what was happening and that was probably for the best.

"Glad to see you."

His hands trembled as he gently...slowly ran them up her lower back. The fine material of her dress almost made it feel as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. His touch rose higher and grew a bit more confident as he pressed his firm chest flush against her warm bosom. He felt alive again for the first time in years. She still had complete control over his mind, his body and his soul. Nobody affected him the way she did. Nobody made him feel so strong. Nobody made him feel so weak.

The hug went on a little too long and soon grew awkward. Rick didn't want to let go, but he knew he had no right to hold on. She wasn't his anymore, not to covet...not to hold.

Dropping his hands from her back, Rick immediately noticed how heavy his arms now felt. All of a sudden he was weighed down. All of a sudden he didn't feel so confident. He was caught in a vicious cycle of need versus want. He knew she needed space from him and he'd given her that, but he couldn't ignore the fact that of all the bakeries in Atlanta he walked into Maggie's. It had to be fate. Rick Grimes didn't believe in coincidences. No, there had to be a more complex reason and the instant he laid eyes on her he knew exactly what that reason was.

 _Damn, I missed you._ He thought as she began to slowly peel her body from his and pull away from his embrace. _Damn, I wish I could hold you forever._

Rick stood there as stiff as a board fighting one hell of a battle with his head while simultaneously trying to hold off an impending attack from his body. He knew he had no business thinking the things he was thinking or feeling the things he was feeling, but he couldn't help himself. Once you've experienced the deepest kind of soul connection possible nothing else would do. Everything he felt with her felt brand new. Every kiss was like the first kiss, and every last lick was the only taste that mattered. When he fell for Michonne, he fell hard and fast. The first time they made love was so intense and overwhelming that he shed actual tears as he released his essence inside of her.

 _What the hell is goin' on with me?_ Rick remembered thinking, feeling like a complete fool for crying like a baby in the presence of such an incredibly strong woman. _Great! Now she's gonna think I'm some kinda weirdo._

 _Don't stop touching me, Rick_. Michonne purred from underneath his sweaty body, her legs still trembling from her own soul shattering release. _Please, don't ever stop touching me._ She begged him not to take his eager hands away from her hungry body in that sensual voice so heavy in desire that it sounded as if it had been dipped in warm, thick, sticky honey.

 _Fuck! This is gonna be harda than I thought._

"Glad to see you too," Michonne replied with a full smile that brightened up the entire bakery.

She looked happy to see him and in a strange way she kind of was. The relief that washed over her was so freeing. Now she didn't have to worry about the inevitable run-in with the ex who had broken her heart. Facing him wasn't nearly as frightening as her imagination made it out to be. It was actually quite cathartic. The anger she once felt for him never quite morphed into hate. It was more tender than hard...more sore than brittle. Even though her life had taken her down another path, she still wanted him to be okay. She wanted the best for him, she always had and she always would.

 _This isn't so scary._ Michonne thought to herself starting to feel proud of her ability to hold it together in the presence of the man who once made her question her own sanity. _He's just a man...just one man._

Rick may have just been one man, but he was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Those eyes...that stare still wielded more power than she would ever admit to anyone other than herself.

 _Damn, he looks good. Screw_ _him_ _for_ _being_ _so_ _fuckin'_ _fine_. _Where the_ _hell_ _does_ _he_ _get_ _off_ _looking_ _better_ _today_ _than_ _he did the_ _day_ _I_ _married_ _his_ _pretty ass? Why couldn't he be fat and have a big old beer belly that hangs over the waistband of his jeans? He is wearing the hell out of those jeans. Stop it, Michonne! Pull yourself together and focus! Yes, he's beautiful, but he's also a liar. Remember what he did. Don't ever let yourself forget what he did or who he did it with. A beautiful liar is just a common liar all wrapped up in a pretty package._

 _Why the hell couldn't he have just gotten fat? And bald too? Why couldn't he be fat and bald?_

She wanted to be pissed at him and she knew she had every right to be, but oddly enough she wasn't. How could she be mad at him or anybody else when Negan and Bella made her happier than she'd ever dreamed she could be. Life was good. Her family was her everything and even though her ex was indeed one good-looking man he wasn't beautiful enough to destroy her life...not for a second time.

Rick Grimes was Michonne Morel's first big love, her first husband and the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. All of that didn't just evaporate into thin air because he hurt her. Love didn't work that way no matter how many nights she lie awake hoping and wishing that it did. It would have been so much easier if she could have raised a magic wand and made her time with him vanish into thin air.

 _Where the hell is Bella's super magical fairy sparkle dust when you need it?_

"You look incredible," Rick said with a slight nod of the head then almost instantly he began to worry if the compliment sounded too flirty coming from him.

He knew that she had long moved on, that she had married Negan and given birth to his child. She was a mother now, but motherhood hadn't done anything to diminish her sex appeal. He tried to fight the urge, but he couldn't stop his eyes from roaming her insane body, remembering the things that body could do...the things that body could coax his own body into doing with only the tiniest bit of effort.

"You haven't aged at all, Chonne."

The silence fell hard and sat uncomfortably between the two them. Neither could ignore the obvious tension or pretend it wasn't there. They knew each other too well and respected each other too much to be anything other than authentic. Sure, they were divorced, and they hadn't laid eyes on each other in years, but there was still love there. There were still issues that had yet to be resolved and hurt that hadn't yet been remedied. Time may have very well healed all wounds, but there would still be a scar left behind. The scars she didn't mind. They reminded her brain of the things her heart sometimes allowed her to forget.

"Well," Michonne shifted nervously from one foot to the other while trying her best to ignore the fact that her ex-husband was checking her out."I try to eat right...exercise."

 _Two hours a day, five days a week._ Rick remembered and just as he was about to find a way to work that into the conversation his cell phone came alive and began to ring in his hand.

Rick looked down at the screen and smiled when he saw the name displayed.

 _Mom._ A slight smile bloomed on his handsome face. _Right on cue. That woman and her intuition._

A picture of his mother and father taken on the night of their thirty fifth wedding anniversary remained even after he tapped ignore and silenced the ring. He'd have to call her back.

 _Wait til she finds out I ran into her buddy._

Everybody in Rick's inner circle, from his coworkers to his family and friends loved Michonne, but no one was more smitten with her than his mother. Helen Grimes fell in love with her son's new lady the very first time she met her acquaintance. They hit it off immediately, both passionately dedicated to all things involving health, wellness, and physical fitness. Helen got Michonne into Hot Yoga, and Michonne got Helen to try Krav Maga for the very first time. Both were certified gym rats, but they also enjoyed taking cooking classes together, traveling to exotic places and country line dancing on Saturday nights while Rick and his father sat at the bar sipping whiskey and smiling at their adventurous and slightly tipsy ladies.

"Lori didn't tell me you were in town."

Michonne wondered why her BFF didn't feel the need to call her and warn her that their ex husband in common was headed her way. They didn't discuss Rick or anything pertaining to Rick, but a warning would have been nice.

"But she's been crazy busy with the twins so…" Her words trailed off into silence.

Even though Lori Blake, formerly Lori Grimes, was Rick's ex wife and the mother of his one and only child her loyalty had always been to Michonne. People thought their friendship was a strange one and maybe it was, but they genuinely liked each other, and they weren't going to let the opinions of others dictate their relationship. They were two grown ass women who knew how to carry themselves as such.

Rick and Lori were over long before Michonne ever entered the picture. They married too damn young and simply grew apart. It was no one's fault. They were both just thankful that they were able to end the marriage and save the friendship. When Lori went on to marry the former governor of Georgia, Phillip Blake, Rick was the one that walked her down the aisle. That's how much love they still had for one another. Rick was a good man and Lori was a good woman. They just weren't good for each other at that point in their lives.

"It happened kinda fast." Rick let out a heavy sigh as he began to explain. "We weren't supposed to move up here til the fall. I wanted Carl to spend his last summer home with his friends 'fore his entire life got uprooted, but when the ranch went into foreclosure-"

"You lost the ranch?" Michonne asked, completely stunned, her voice dripping with panic and her brow furrowing with concern.

She may have gone through a long period of time where she wanted him to hurt the same way he made her hurt, but she never wanted this. The disappointment on his face was breaking her heart in two. She knew how much that place meant to him...how much it meant to his entire family...the same family that once welcomed her with open arms and treated her like she was one of their very own.

The Grimes Family Ranch had been passed down from generation to generation for the last one hundred and twenty years. Michonne had such fond memories of the time she spent there with Rick. It was where they had their first date, where they said their first I love yous, where they made love for the very first time and where they were eventually married. It wasn't their primary residence, but it was the one and only place they turned to whenever they wanted to get away from it all.

"Rick, why didn't you reach out to me? I would have-"

"Michonne, how could I?" His eyes snapped shut. He couldn't bare to face her and relive it all over again. Hurting her killed him. Losing her buried him.

"Rick-"

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Their trip down memory lane was cut short when Bella came crashing into her mother's side. "Did you get it?! Is it ready yet?!" She took a big, deep breath, but instead of calming her it only seemed to amp her up even more. "Is my cake ready?! Is it...is it?! I can't wait to see it!"

"Not yet, Bunny." Michonne crouched down very carefully in her body hugging dress, putting herself at eye level with her very excited little ball of energy. "Remember what Mommy told you about having patience?"

Bella quickly huffed in another deep breath then blew it out just as fast. "I know, Mommy. Good things come...uh," Her big brown eyes darted up and to the side like she was searching her memory for the answer. "...uh...good things come…"

"Good things come to those who wait." Michonne helped her along with a gentle voice and a few soothing strokes up and down her small back. "You have to be patient my love."

Rick couldn't extinguish the fire burning in his heart. Michonne was a good mother, and it showed. Her daughter was so beautiful, but more importantly, she was happy. The way she looked at her mother as she spoke was a sight to see. That little girl loved and idolized Michonne. Rick knew all too well exactly what that felt like.

"Mommy," Bella laid her small head down on her mother's shoulder then wrapped her arms snug around her neck, signaling that she wanted to be picked up "Daddy's right. You are super smart." She giggled. "Are you Daddy's friend?" Bella turned her attention to Rick and questioned with innocent eyes.

She didn't know or understand the complicated history between this stranger and her parents.

"I do know ya, daddy." Rick tap danced around that question like his body was being taken over by the ghost of Fred Astaire. "And what's your name?"

"I'm Bella." She practically sang her reply. "Bella Liliana Leone."

 _That's definitely Michonne's daughter. She looks just like Negan, but she gets that outgoing personality straight from her mama._

Rick bit his bottom lip to stifle a chuckle. "It's very nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Rick."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rick." She took a deep breath that caused her small chest to rise then fall dramatically.

Bella was excited and her mother had a good idea why. The shy smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes was proof enough. She had a crush.

Michonne could only shake her head and smile at her little girl's obvious fascination with Rick Grimes. She remembered all too well what that was like. There was a time in the not so distant past when he was the cause of the twinkle in her own eyes, a time when he made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world, a time when she couldn't even imagine a life without him.

"Your eyes look like Peyto." Bella gushed, her adorable dimples growing deeper and more pronounced.

Rick's puzzled gaze shot up to Michonne knowing that sometimes only a parent could understand their own child.

"Peyto Lake." She began, albeit hesitantly. "It's in Canada...Alberta. We were just there two weeks ago. The water's… it's…very...blue." Michonne fumbled, trying to find the right words to explain while also trying not to say something she would regret.

"It's beautiful." Bella suddenly came down with a terrible case of what Susan Grimes referred to as diarrhea of the mouth. "Your eyes are soooooo pretty."

Michonne cringed as she emphasized the hell out of that so.

"Aren't they, Mommy?" She looked up at her mother expectantly, completely unaware of the predicament she was putting her in.

 _Bunny, Mommy loves you, but I really need you to hush._

"Mommy, can Mr. Rick come to my birthday party?"

Bella just could not stop herself from putting her mother in uncomfortable situations.

"Can he pleeeeease?" She pleaded, her big brown eyes tugging on her mother's heart strings. "He has to meet Hello Kitty, Mommy...he just has to."

Michonne was at a loss for words. She had never seen her daughter go this hard for anybody before, especially not someone she only met five minutes ago.

"We'll have to ask daddy and see what he says."

"Ask Daddy what?" Negan's booming voice echoed off the walls of the small bakery, commanding the attention of the entire room. "Hey, baby." He greeted Michonne with a soft kiss on the cheek. "And my other baby." Bella received a kiss as well. "Grimes." He acknowledged Rick's presence, but it wasn't exactly a warm welcome.

Negan wasn't the least bit surprised to see Rick. In fact, he wondered what the hell had taken him so long. This wasn't the first run-in he had with his wife's ex husband, but since his little girl was present, this would be the first one where no punches would be thrown.

"Negan," Rick responded with a slight nod of the head, his southern drawl just a little huskier than normal. "Good to see you." He lied through his teeth but kept his poker face intact. His eyes found Michonne's again. She was nervous and with good reason.

Negan kept his eyes on Rick but his hands on Michonne, snaking his strong arm around her tiny waist and pulling her as close to him as humanly possible.

 _She's_ _mine, Grimes._

He didn't need to say the words out loud. The look on his face said it all. Michonne was his wife, his soulmate, his beginning and his ending.

 _You had ya chance and ya blew it. Fuckin' idiot._

Michonne could feel the tension growing thicker and thicker with every second that passed. Her husband wasn't usually the possessive type, but Rick Grimes was a hot button issue in their marriage. His name rarely came up in recent years, but back when they first got together Negan was convinced that there were three people in his relationship instead of just two.

Negan began pursuing Michonne a few months after she divorced Rick. She knew she wasn't really ready to enter into anything serious, but after a dozen or so standard Saturday night dates of dinner and a movie she slept with him, thinking it would help her to move on and put her relationship with Rick behind her. When she broke down crying afterwards Negan didn't freak out. He cuddled up with her in bed and held her until the tears eventually stopped falling. Holding women while they cried over their ex wasn't usually something he did, but Michonne was special and if that's what it took to convince her how special she truly was then that was what he was willing to do.

"Daddy, can Mr. Rick come to my party so he can meet Hello Kitty?" Bella asked with those eyes...those beautiful big brown eyes, pleading with him to allow something that he absolutely did not want to grant permission to.

Negan knew how petty it was for him to be jealous, but he couldn't help the way he felt. Bella liked Rick and that alone was enough to make him want to punch him square in the jaw. If he thought he was going to worm his way back into Michonne's life by using his princess then he had another thing coming. He would allow him to come to the party, the last thing he wanted was for Rick to think he made him nervous, but he would make sure he was never alone with his wife or his daughter.

 _I'm gonna be on you like white on rice, cowboy. You don't fuckin' want these kinda problems._

Negan smiled, his dimples on full display. "Sure he can, Bunny." His eyes shifted from his perfect little princess to his nemesis, taking a moment to enjoy the memory of the last time the two of them were face to face, the day Rick left his office with a swollen black eye and a broken nose. "Ya boy in Atlanta too?"

"He is," Rick said with a bit of hesitation in his tone.

He didn't know what Negan's angle was, but he wasn't about to let his son be dragged into the middle of their cock measuring contest. Rick didn't trust Negan and with good reason. Michonne may not have known about his recent hardships, but her husband most certainly did.

"Bring him. Most of the kids there'll be younga, but there should be a few his age."

Rick's eyes found Michonne's again. "I know he'd love to see ya, but we wouldn't wanna impose."

Michonne smiled, thinking of her _little dude_ , "I'd love to see him too."

Being Carl's step mom was one of the things she missed most about being married to Rick. That little boy was the light of her life before she had Bella. It didn't matter that she wasn't the woman that gave birth to him. She loved him just like he was her very own.

Michonne turned her attention to her husband. "You sure you don't mind?"

He smiled but didn't respond to the question. "There's some extra invitations in the glove compartment. Go grab one while me and my little Bunny rabbit go check on the cake."

Negan didn't miss the little grins Rick kept flashing his wife.

 _You ain't slick, Grimes._

The urge to punch Rick in the face again made his fists tingle with an almost overwhelming sensation of anticipation.

 _You can look all ya want, but ya best keep ya hands to ya self._

It wasn't that he didn't trust Michonne because he did. He trusted that woman like he trusted his own mother and that was saying a hell of a lot. What he didn't trust…who he didn't trust was the man standing less than a foot away who was doing a piss poor job at pretending that he wasn't watching his wife's hips sway as she made her way past him and through the exit.

Rick watched Michonne open the passenger side door of an elegant, pure onyx Bentley Bentayga SUV, a vehicle that cost more money than he made in a year...hell, more than he made in five years.

 _I still love her. I'm still head over heels in love with her._

And for one brief moment he closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to a time when she was still his wife, and he was still her husband.

 _Don't stop touching me, Rick. Please, don't ever stop touching me._

It was the happiest and most fulfilling time of his life.

 _You had her and you fucked it all up._

 _Now my baby's dancing but she's dancing with another man..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _"I'll die 'fore I let that shit happen."_

Their bedroom was huge and yet somehow he felt caged. Making love to his wife normally put him at ease, but today it seemed to have the opposite effect. He felt like a wild beast and he dared any son of a bitch to step to him and try to tame him. Most knew better. After all, you don't go poking at a wild bear and expect him not to rip you to pieces. No, you go up against Negan Leone and you lose. Every. Single. Time. Most knew better than to try him, to try his patience or test his tolerance for bullshit, but there was always one dumb fuck that had to learn this lesson the hard way.

 _Rick Grimes._

Negan never knew it was possible to hate a name, to hate something so basic, something so out of one's control until he grew to despise every single syllable of that one.

 _Rick fuckin' Grimes._ An angry snort grew into a full on teeth-baring snarl as Negan slowly drug his large calloused hand down the thick salt and pepper scruff covering the lower half of his face. _Ugh. I gotta shave this shit._

Every since he saw Rick with that stupid ass beard of his he knew it was high time to have Michonne break out the straight razor and give him a really close...really clean shave.

 _Oh, how I love to watch that woman handle a blade._

Thinking about his wife shaving him, straddling him, teasing him with the tasty treat nestled between her firm thighs was almost enough to make him forget all about the annoying little prick she used to be married to. It wasn't that Negan was jealous of Rick because he wasn't. Who the hell could envy a man that didn't have enough sac to hold on to his woman?

 _Fuckin' idiot._ Negan's one-track, Rick Grimes hating mind took him back to the offending site, back to Maggie's bakery earlier that morning which was precisely the place the did not want to return to. He had no interest in witnessing that pathetic little scene a second time, watching another man practically drool all over his wife, no doubt remembering how glorious it felt to be inside her wonderland of a body. _Like white on rice, cowboy._

Negan didn't want Rick at his little girl's party, he didn't want him anywhere near his home, but most of all… especially...he didn't want him within a fifty foot radius of Michonne.

 _Idiot prob'ly thinks he's still in love with her. Huh. Fuck's a Boy Scout like him know about lovin' a woman like her?_

In Negan's mind, there was no way Rick loved Michonne as much as he himself loved Michonne. If he did, he would have never let her go. It was just that simple. He would have fought harder...held on tighter. Negan worshipped at the altar of Michonne Morel-Leone. It chilled him to his bones when he thought too long and too hard about how much he loved her and how he could never survive living even one day of life without her. Some may have called him obsessed, but he simply called it being in love with the only woman that ever really got him...the only woman who could ever really handle him. Negan wasn't oblivious and he damn sure wasn't stupid. He knew he could be quite the handful. Sometimes a man like him...a man with his particular impulses would say things he didn't mean, things that could wound the woman he loved, but his wife was a soldier through and through. No, she wasn't born and raised in one of the toughest boroughs of New York city like he was yet her swag gave his a run for its money. Her velvety smooth voice rarely raised and he couldn't for the life of him remember a time when her feathers got overly flustered. The woman oozed poise and self-control, but if pushed… if taken to the brink she would bring you to your knees using any means necessary.

 _It'll be a cold day in hell 'fore I let some clown walk up in here and take her away from me._ Negan thought to himself, roughly snatching the fifth of Jack Daniels from his bedside table, choosing to forego the shot glass that sat right beside it and chugging it straight from the bottle...aggressively. I _told that muthafucka to stay away. I warned him what I could do..what I would do if he opened up that big fuckin' mouth of his._

Negan couldn't believe the gall of some simple man like Rick thinking he could go up against a beast like him. He tried his damnedest to hold back the overwhelming desire he had to fuck up his entire little life, but the more he tried to suppress his natural urges the harder they fought to break free.

 _If_ _it wasn't for this woman beside me I woulda beat the holy hell outta that little punk._

He turned his head slightly to the right as his eyes instinctively found Michonne. She was completely naked underneath a grey silk duvet made by one of those frou-frou designers whose name he couldn't even pronounce. Her deliciously smooth skin looked so incredibly soft, her body relaxed, her face so at peace and in that moment he would have gladly bet his left nut that he'd seen her glowing, and Negan Leone was extremely fond of his left nut...his right one too.

The Jack Daniels making its way through his system was more likely the bringer of this miraculous light, but Negan didn't give one solitary fuck. He thought she was angelic all the same _._ Michonne was the safe place he had been searching for every since the day he was born. She was his home...his solace...his center and his moral compass. His whole entire world revolved around her and the life they built together. She was the one thing he wanted more than anything, but secretly feared he never truly deserved. She kept him sane when everything around him seemed hell-bent on turning him out. There was no him without her...he was incapable of being him without her.

 _I'm not gonna lose her._ _I'll give up the money...the fancy ass homes...the expensive cars...even the company, but not her. I'll die 'fore I let that shit happen._

To understand the man that Negan Leone is today you would first have to travel back in time and meet a small boy who never knew a father's love, an innocent child who never felt the gentle caress of a mother's hand. Negan never met either of his biological parents...never even saw a picture of them. The rumor that circulated throughout the neighborhood was that his mother was a teenage prostitute born on the same rundown block in the Bronx that she died on seventeen years later with a needle full of Heroin shoved in her veins. His father's identity was more shrouded in mystery. Nobody really had a clue who he was but that didn't stop the nosey old neighborhood bitties from gossiping and what they didn't know they made up. His father was everything from an escaped convict running from the law to a college professor with a wife and five kids at home. Negan took it all in stride. A mother and a father were nice fantasies, but he lived in the real world, a dark and humbling reality where some parents didn't put their children's needs first, where those same parents were the ones most in need of guidance and boundaries. He didn't necessarily like that world, but he knew it like the back of his hand, he knew how to navigate it, and he knew how to survive in it. Dark came so damn easy for him. The light was where he struggled most.

Negan wasn't even the boy's given name. He made it up completely out of the blue when he was eleven years old and started running with a local street gang who didn't think the name Angel was hard enough to belong to a Savior.

 _Angel._

He had the nuns at the orphanage to thank for that one. Sister Mary Francis took one look at the tiny bundle all wrapped up in a ratty blue crib blanket and knew with all her heart that she was staring into the face of an angel sent from God. He was perfection with his full bloom of silky blue black hair, his naturally tan skin and don't even get the good Sister started on those gorgeous dimples.

 _Why the fuck am I sittin' up here thinkin' bout Sister Mary Francis?_ Negan's weary, bloodshot eyes slowly shifted to the left until they spied the bottle of Jack sitting on the table, now completely empty. _Damn, I drank the whole fuckin' bottle? No wonder I feel like I'm losin' my shit._

He honestly believed that this time, he'd finally gotten his drinking under control, but that empty bottle told another story.

 _I gotta get my shit together._

"Baby, you up?" Negan called out to his wife quietly, knowing that she was the only one who could rein him back in when he threatened to go off his leash. "I need you."

The desperation in her husband's voice caused Michonne's eyes to shoot open immediately. She wasn't sure what was going on or why he seemed so agitated, but she knew it was time to clock in...it was time to go to work.

"I'm up," She whispered back to him, her voice warm and comforting, exactly what he needed from his better half in that moment. "What's on your mind?"

She looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes of hers and Negan instantly knew everything would be fine. It always was when she was there to hold him down. His mind could sometimes be a very dark and scary place, but that didn't rattle her. Michonne knew all about his traumatic childhood and understood that sometimes she had to be gentle with him...that sometimes she had to air on the side of caution, but no matter how difficult things got she would never walk away from her husband. She could never in a million years leave him the way her own mother had abandoned her father. Bella would never know what it felt like to grow up without a mother, to cry herself to sleep every night wondering why she wasn't enough...enough to make her stay...enough to even earn a phone call on Christmas morning or a greeting card on her birthday. Negan may have been a complicated man, but he was an amazing father and because of that, he had Michonne's complete devotion.

 _Give me your burdens to bear, my love._

There was nothing more important to her in that moment than being there for her husband, the same way he had always been there for her. She loved Negan with every fiber of her being, even when it was tough...even when he made her fight for it. Growing up the way that he did left him with more than just a few physical scars. The mental damage was far more severe. The harm done to his body eventually stopped hurting, but the emotional pain inflicted on his psyche never really did. Michonne tried any and everything possible to help soothe it. She even agreed to bear his child when tragedies from her past left her without any desire to be a mother. She became the yin that his yang had always craved. She was the Bonnie to his Clyde, his ride or die.

Negan rolled over to his left side, picked up a small chrome remote control off of his bedside table and pointed towards the large window on the far side of the room. A twelve foot wide motorized shade slowly began to lower and block the glaring light from the bright Georgia summer sun.

He became one with the darkness. It wasn't that he would purposely seek it out. He tried his best to escape it, but it was embedded deep within his soul. He didn't want to think about how Rick Grimes used to be married to his wife, how he used to make love to her tenderly or how they used to fuck like animals in the wild, but his imagination was one treacherous bitch.

 _Fuck me, Rick._ He could practically hear Michonne's sultry bedroom voice begging his mortal enemy for more _. Negan can't fuck me like you do._ She taunted one man while she teased the other. _This is still your pussy, baby. Fuck it...fuck your pussy good._

Negan threw the remote control across the room with so much brute force that it completely shattered and fell in pieces to the floor below, "I don't want him at Bella's party," he began with a long, exaggerated sigh. "I don't even know why the fuck I agreed to it."

"Yes, you do," Michonne called him on his bullshit as her hand dipped underneath the duvet to caress his naked thigh. "Bella wanted him to come and you know you can't say no to her."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what, baby?" She urged him to continue on, her warm hand still gently stroking his thigh while her kind eyes focused on the pained expression on his face. "Bella's not going to trade you in for a new daddy. Nobody else could afford her." She joked, trying her best to lighten the mood and charm her husband out of his dark hiding place, back to her where he belonged.

Negan laughed as he looked down at his wife and silently thanked god that she was his. He never doubted Michonne's love for him, but every once in awhile there was a moment when he really felt it and this was definitely one of those moments.

 _God, I love this woman._

"I don't know what I'd do without you." His words were simple, yet they struck Michonne like a bolt of lightning.

 _God, I love this man._

She smiled and scooted her naked body over to close the space between the two of them."You'll never have to find out." Her whisper was soft but damn if it wasn't powerful. "Because I don't know what I'd do without you either." She said, her voice dripping in sincerity, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Negan never had anyone look at him like that before...like he was special…like he was important… like he was everything.

There was a moment...just one quick blink of a moment where he allowed his dark thoughts to completely take over.

 _What the fuck are you gonna do if she leaves you...when she leaves you._

"I love you so fuckin' much, Michonne." His eyes were laser focused on hers, burning with a red-hot intensity that threatened to engulf them both. "If I ever lost you-"

"Hey!" Her soft, sensuous lips met with his for a quick, chaste kiss. "Baby, I love you. I'm in love with you. I love our life together, and I wouldn't trade you and Bella for anything in the world."

He shook his head up and down in an affirmative manner, letting Michonne know that not only had he heard her but that he also believed her. "I know that, Michonne." He sighed then ran his hand up and down his face in frustration. "I do, but I saw the two of you together...the way you looked at each other...the way you tried not to look at each other...and I know...I know there's still love there."

Michonne felt horrible. She never meant to make her husband feel insecure. Running into Rick so unexpectedly really threw her off her game, but she thought she handled it well. She hadn't realized how much of an effect it had on Negan. It wasn't until she smelled the liquor on his breath that she knew how bad he was hurting and the last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt him, the last thing she ever wanted to be was just one more person that added to his sorrow.

"Negan, I can't lie to you. I won't." She began as she snuggled her body up against his. "Yes, I still have love for Rick."

"Mmmmmm," He grunted his disapproval but said nothing more. His eyes darted all over the ceiling, searching for something he seemed destined to never find.

"I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but I won't lie you. That's not us."

"It's not." He agreed, though at that moment he secretly wished that she would have just lied and put him out of his misery. "We're always straight with each other no matter what."

"No matter what." Michonne placed a soft kiss to his chest then squeezed his body as tight as she could, warming herself in the heat radiating off of him, wishing she had the ability to make him feel even half as safe as he made her. "I have love for Rick, but baby I'm in love with you… only you and I'm so sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way back at the bakery. As soon as Bella asked if he could come to her party I should've shut it down. I just really miss Carl and-"

"Say no more." He had to cut her off when he heard her voice start to break. Negan couldn't bear to see his wife cry. "You don't have to say another word." He wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her in his protective embrace. "I know how much you love that kid. You gotta big heart and I don't mean to make you feel guilty for that. You love hard." He placed a soft kiss to her temple. "I know that better than anybody."

Michonne brought her right hand to his cheek and slowly… softly began to trace the outline of his mouth with her thumb. "I love you so much, Mr. Leone."

She could no longer hold the tears at bay. The love she had for that man overwhelmed her in the best way possible. He was so intense that at times she questioned whether she could love him like he needed to be loved, but she fought through it...she fought like hell for her man and she fought fiercely for her family.

"Make love to me, baby." She purred into his ear using the sultry voice she dusted off whenever he needed for her to want him just a little more than normal. "Give me everything thing you got."

Negan didn't have to be told twice. Sex was the only part of their lives that wasn't complicated. They were drawn together like magnets and once united...once ignited they made pure fire. His body melted into hers like hot wax desperately searching for something to mold it into it's fated form. With every roll of her hips, she pushed him closer to his destiny. And when he made her cum he felt a sense of pride he'd never known before...a sense of pride that only a man bond with a phenomenal woman was capable of understanding.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Mommy and Daddy, it's me...Bella!" They heard a very loud yet squeaky voice call from the other side of their bedroom door. "I'm up from my nap!" She shouted with a little too much enthusiasm for her frustrated parent's current mood. " Rosario says it's time to start getting ready for my party!"

Negan let out a defeated sigh when he realized that he would not be getting the chance to enjoy his wife before they started being pulled in a thousand different directions for the remainder of the day. "Now's she's gettin' assistance with her cock blockin'?"

Michonne laughed so hard that her stomach began to cramp. "You're such an idiot."

"A horny idiot." He said, his voice so low it damn near drug the ground.

"You're always horny." She leaned in for one last kiss. "And I love that about you, but unfortunately-"

"Unfortunately we live with the world's greatest, most skilled cock blocker."

"You better stop referring to my daughter as a cock blocker." She warned him, though her tone was light and full of humor.

Negan could have looked at that smile forever, and as bad as he wanted to ravage her body he was content with just admiring how beautiful she looked when she didn't have a care in the world.

"Mommy...Daddy, are you awake?" Bella tried the doorknob, but Michonne always made sure to lock their bedroom door when they were about to get their freak on. "I can't be late to my Hello Kitty party."

"She's so damn dramatic." Negan groaned, listening to his daughter fret about being late to a party at her own house that didn't even start for another three hours. "Mommy and Daddy's are comin', Bunny!"

"Okay, Daddy!" Bella shouted once again and Negan soon heard the unmistakable pitter-patter of tiny feet making their way down the hall back towards her bedroom.

 _She better be lucky I love the shit outta her lil cock blockin' ass._

He was more than ready for this day to be over with.

 _Let's get this fuckin' party started._


	4. Author's Note

**A/N: First, I just want to give a huge thanks to those who have read, followed and reviewed the story. That's means more to me than you'll ever truly know.**

 **I've received several PMs asking if I've abandoned the story and I promise you I haven't. I will continue on with it just as soon as I am able. I lost my twin sister a few weeks back and my depression has been unbearable. I'm trying to get through it the best way I can, but I don't even have words to express the way I've been feeling. My twin was my best friend and I'm completely lost without her. Knowing that she and her husband were taken from us by a drunk driver makes it even more painful because it could have been avoided, but due to this person's irresponsible behavior our entire family has been wrecked and my one year old nephew has been left without a mother or a father.**

 **I'm sorry about the wait and for announcing it this way, but I thought it would be easier than answering each message individually.**

 **Again, thanks so much for supporting me by supporting my story.**

 **Hope to be back with you guys soon,**

 **Justus**


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